Manfalut Travel Guide
Manfalut is in Asyut Governorate in Upper Egypt and is located about 53 meters above sea level. Manfalut lies 350 km from Cairo and according to 2006 statistics has a population of 82,585. The city lies on the west bank of the Nile River and is comprised of seven smaller villages which include El Atamna, Beni Shukeir, and Bani Rafe. Manfalut is popular for being the birthplace of the famous Egyptian writer and poet Mustafa Lutfi El Manfaluti. The city today has developed as a major agricultural center and is the source of significant pomegranate production. Local agriculture is heavily involved in cotton production as well. In 1993, the city managed to also become a strong Islamic center in Egypt. Manfalut remained on Egyptian news channels for a long time due to the devastating bus-train collision which took here on the 17th of November 2012 and resulted in a toll of death of 51 children who lost their lives in this major tragedy.
Tourist Attractions In Manfalut
Manfalut attracts a large number of tourists coming to Egypt. The major attractions here include:
El Maabda
The village of El-Maabda is located on the east bank of the river Nile just opposite Manfalut. Northeast of this village there are also Old Kingdom tombs. Standing on the plateau of the Arabian Desert are the Crocodile Caves which still display the few remains of unique and bizarre crocodile mummies.
Gebel Qurna is located south of El Maabda and has been there since the reign of Sethos II. To the east is a Coptic monastery which has a Greek origin and next is the Gebel-Marag which has many rock tombs from the ancient Kingdom. These were once the possession of princes and dignitaries of the Snake Mountain nome. The tombs are divided into two groups: the northern and older southern group. The tombs of Djaw and Ebe are among the most interesting ones. So are the Princes of the Snake Mountain and Abydos nomes which still have harvest scenes, reliefs of craftsmen, and fishing and hunting scenes in them.
Masjid Al-Kashef
Located in Manfalut City, this is a mosque that was founded by Prince Ali Al-Kashef Jamal Al-Deen as his masterpiece. The mosque or the masjid still bears his name and is located on Al Qessaria Street.
Deir el-Gabrawi
Deir el-Gabrawi is another small town just in front of Manfalut City in Assyut in Upper Egypt. The necropolis here is famous and dates back to the 6th dynasty. The necropolis is made up of a number of tombs carved in the eastern mountain to act as the burial place of rulers, princes, and governors who were in power during the 12th Nome of Egypt. The tombs cut from the rock were surrounded by many paintings and reliefs. The most important tombs that were found in this area are the Ibi and Gawa tombs where one can witness the many vivid depictions of daily life sketched as religious scenes. The walls of these tombs were stolen in the year 1990 but after this, these were replaced and recuperated to the original site.
Kom Lara
This place is a district capital located between the Nile and the Ibrahimiya Canal. It’s a market town for the areas nearby and the also touted to be the seat of a Coptic Bishop. The place is said to have traces from the prehistoric settlement era and also a necropolis belonging to the early Historical period alongside a Coptic Monastery.
Cities Near Manfalut
The major cities that are located near Manfalut along with their distance from the place are the following; Asyut, Egypt (15.9 miles), Al Minya, Egypt (56.91 miles), Suhaj, Egypt (68.65 miles), Mallawi, Egypt (30.17 miles), Jirja, Egypt (88.08 miles), Akhmim, Egypt (70.44 miles), Tahta, Egypt (49.75 miles), Samalut, Egypt (71.09 miles), Abu Tij, Egypt (28.29 miles), Abnub, Egypt (11.48 miles), Al Qusiyah, Egypt (12.94 miles), Dayrut, Egypt (19.7 miles) and Abu Qurqas, Egypt (43.69 miles).
The city of Manfalut has a lot to offer history lovers and adventurous travelers who want to get a glimpse of the heart of ancient Egypt.
